Public health and welfare

because the conference was held in a country with a strong tradition in welfare policies, but also because we live in a time of economic crisis, and support in the form of ‘cash and care ’ for those who loose their jobs and incomes may be crucial for their health. The conference addressed major questions such as: ‘Which kinds of welfare models are operating in Europe? Are there differences between European countries? Do these differences have an impact on population well-being and health?’1 In an introductory keynote lecture, Gosta Esping Andersen, expanded on his classical model of welfare provision in three ‘regimes’: The social-democratic or Nordic regime, the conservative or continental regime, and the liberal or Anglo-Saxon regime.2 Esping Andersen showed that these regimes differ substantially in their primary outcomes, i.e. in what they are primarily designed to do. For example, the Nordic welfare regime is much more effective than the other regimes in reducing poverty, particularly among children